Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Henry Kantor accepted the civil compromise reached between NBA Houston Rockets player Terrence A. Jones and a homeless man he’s accused of stomping, saying it was in the “best interests’’ of everyone involved, including the public, according to an audiotape of last Friday's hearing.

“This has been negotiated at some length. It involves other matters as well. I’m confident this settlement is part of the overall best interests of everybody, including the public,’’ Kantor said the during four-minute hearing. “I think Mr. Jones gets it, and is going to reform his conduct accordingly in the future.’’

Jones’ attorney, Janet Hoffman, was present for the four-minute hearing last Friday, a hearing that was added to Kantor's docket at the last minute. Jones was not there, but is back in Portland Friday through Sunday as his team continues its NBA playoff series against Portland. The Trail Blazers lead the series 2-0 after winning twice in Houston.

Hoffman had urged the judge to accept the compromise, saying it came after “significant investigations.’’

Jones, a 22-year-old Portland native who attended Jefferson High School, had pleaded not guilty to the allegation he subjected a homeless man to "offensive physical contact'' after his July 31 arrest in Portland.

Portland
police had accused Jones of trying to wake two sleeping homeless men
who were in the doorway of 114 N.W. Third Avenue, and then stomping on
one man's legs.

Portland Sgt. Anthony Passadore was patrolling
the Old Town area as bars were closing and witnessed the incident,
according to police reports.

At the time of Jones' arrest, his
then-lawyer Kevin O'Connell told reporters that Jones may have tripped
over the sleeping homeless man, yelled at him to "Wake up!'' and nudged
him, but did not stomp on him.

According to O'Connell, the
homeless man was sleeping in a doorway next to the bureau's Old Town
precinct and his body "partly extended onto the sidewalk.''

Portland
police said the homeless man, 46-year-old Daniel
John Kellerher, suffered a minor injury and did not require immediate
medical attention.

"While
acknowledging that Terrence may not have been looking where he was
walking, with a crowd that had spilled out into the street and were
being herded by the police back onto the sidewalk, Terrence tripped over
Mr. Kellerher,'' O'Connell said in a release shortly after Jones' arrest last year.

Kellerher's lawyer James E. McCandlish said earlier this week that he was pleased "that we were able to resolve the underlying dispute
to everyone's satisfaction.''